The present invention relates to a casino game incorporating multiple playing modes and multiple wagering options and, more particularly, to a casino poker game that includes modes of play with no casino advantage.
Casino operators are continuously searching for ways to make casino table games more attractive and player friendly. New poker derivatives such as Caribbean Stud, Let-it-Ride, Pai Gow Poker, and Three Card Poker have made a significant contribution; however, many traditional players still regard these games as having too high a house advantage. Therefore, there would be a significant market for a poker derivative game where the house advantage was less apparent. Ideally, a beneficial innovation could include the implementation of a game incorporating bets with no house advantage.
With respect to types of poker, conventional established terms are draw and stud. These terms have become out-of-date as community card games and showdown games are established. Community card games such as Hold'em and Omaha could be regarded as combining aspects of both draw and stud, whereas showdown could be dealt as either a draw, stud or community card version.
Showdown is a version where equal bets by each player are made, and each player receives the appropriate poker hand for the variation played. The hands are shown and the best hand wins. Therefore, there is no skill at basic showdown. This version has been played as one-table satellite events for tournaments, whereby the total pool or pot of equal player bets or entry fees is sufficient to enable the winner to enter the relevant poker tournament.
There are of course a variety of forms of poker such as three-card, five-card and seven-card. These varieties could be played in each of the types described, being draw, stud, community card or showdown. Also, there are different play methodologies such as player hand against player hand, player hand against house/dealer hand and player hand against payoff scale.
It would be desirable to incorporate all three play methodologies in as simple a poker game as possible and allow certain of these methodologies to be played without a house advantage inherent in those methodologies. The simplest type of poker game is showdown. The invention should be applicable to any form of poker but should most easily be applied to a standard three-card hand, a standard five-card hand and a standard seven-card hand, wherein the best five-card hand of the seven cards is utilized.
If the house advantage is applied to the payoff scale wager only, and the player against player and player against dealer wagers are dependent upon the payoff scale wager, then both of the dependent wager modes could be operated without any house advantage.